Fake Friends

9 - I want to love it.

Nate took my hand in his when we crossed the street toward Savor. As we neared the crowd waiting at the entrance, people glanced between us, noting our hands.

Straightening my spine, I enjoyed the feeling of freedom that came with not knowing any of them or worrying about what they thought. Here I could be myself; just a guy lucky to be on a first date with a man as incredible as Nate.

It didn't matter anyway, because most of them didn't give us a second look. A couple of women openly checked each of us out before going back to their conversation with the blond one mouthing "wow" to her friend, but that didn't carry the judgmental feelings that worried me.

Noticing the women, Nate snickered as he opened the door, letting me through first, but not releasing his hold on me, and whispered, "I think you have some fans."

I scoffed at the implication that they'd look at me but not him and gave my name to the waiting host without responding. "Carson, for two. I made a reservation."

"Yes, sir. We have your table ready. Follow me." The lanky teen, dressed in all black, slipped two menus from a pile behind him and headed toward the stairs at the back of the dining room.

We followed, climbing the narrow staircase to a door which opened to a deck holding several empty metal tables and chairs with thick, red cushions. Nate's soft gasp as we stepped into the cool breeze made my stomach twist with nerves. I hadn't considered the weather. What if he thought this was stupid?

But when I peeked up at him, he gave me a huge grin. "This is great!"

As the host set our menus on a table and reached up to light the tall outdoor heater, Nate tugged me toward the railing. A patio stretched out on the ground a level below us, leaving a small, fenced in green space filled with plants that would be beautiful in the spring, but for now were mostly brown and devoid of leaves.

"Your waitress will be up shortly," the host announced. I nodded thanks and he turned to the door, disappearing inside, leaving Nate and me alone.

He leaned against my arm as he inspected the area. "This place is very cool."

"When I saw the pictures online, I asked for a table out here, but I didn't think about all the plants being out of season."

"Still, the vibe is really nice." He ran his thumb over my knuckles. "Besides, that just means we'll have to come back in the spring to see this garden in all its glory, right?"

Between his touch and the mention of us still seeing each other months from now, my heart raced with excitement. "It's a date."

Lifting our joined hands, Nate pressed his lips to the back of my palm before pointing to the table. "Let's go see what's on the menu. I don't want to make the poor waitress go up and down all those stairs more than she has to."

"Good idea. Can you imagine when they're busy out here?" I made a mental note to make her tip worth the effort.

We sat across from each other, against the railing because even though it wasn't the best time of year, the view was still pleasant, and a surprising amount of warmth radiated from the heater beside the table. I took a minute to study it, and it was simple enough.

It'd be a great present for Granny. She'd love to sit on her front porch year-round. I'd get her one before I visited at Easter.

Nate's low hum brought my attention back to the table as he said, "Everything sounds amazing." He turned his menu toward me, pointing at the appetizer section and wiggling his eyebrows. "Southern charcuterie."

I scanned the long list of items included on the southern-themed board—spicy pimento cheese with toast points and pretzels, assorted fresh veggies, pickled okra and green beans, grilled peaches, deviled eggs, and cheese straws. "Well, we need that for sure. Anything else jumping out at you?"

While he looked over the menu, I should've done the same, but I watched him instead. Long, black lashes framing bright green eyes. High cheekbones angled perfectly over his smooth square jaw.

He must've shaved for tonight. The thought made me smile because while I shaved every morning; I knew from the days spent together at Christmas, Nate didn't. Dark stubble looked fantastic on him, but so did this soft, touchable skin. Plus, it meant he'd taken extra time to get ready for our date, which made me feel a little less silly about the many shirts I'd gone through.

"This entire section sounds good," he said. "Do you want to just share a couple of appetizers for dinner?"

I dragged my gaze from Nate before he caught me staring, and glanced at the paper in front of me, locking on to the first thing I saw. "That sounds good. The fried green tomatoes come with bacon bourbon jam."

"Oh, yes, please." Nate set his menu on the edge of the table just as the door opened and our waitress appeared.

A young redhead bounced toward the table, seemingly not at all annoyed with us being the only customers out here. "Good evening, fellas. I'm Ginny. Have y'all dined with us before?"

"We haven't, but everything looks so good." Nate smiled up at her. It was the same friendly look he gave everyone, but I didn't blame her for doing a double take. That smile was enough to raise my pulse.

She blinked a few times as if clearing her mind. "You really can't go wrong with anything, but I love the fried green tomatoes if y'all are thinking of an app."

"He just said that." Nate beamed at me as though I'd solved a puzzle and I had to hold back a laugh.

Ginny turned toward me with her pen and pad ready. "We want that then?"

"Yes, please. And the southern charcuterie as well." I flipped to the wine list. "And a bottle of this off-dry Riesling." I glanced up at Nate. "If that's okay with you?"

"Sounds good!" He nodded.

After making a note of our order, Ginny said, "All right, fellas, this shouldn't take long."

"Thank you," Nate and I said in unison, then smiled at each other.

She giggled on her way to the door. "Y'all are cute."

The door shut behind her, and Nate stood, moving to the seat beside me with a smile. "That's better."

I shifted to face him, and as our knees touched, tingles shot up my thigh. "Yes, it is."

"This is my favorite time of year," Nate said before taking a deep breath of the cool evening air. "Spring is nice too, and fall."

"So, anything but summer?" I chuckled.

"I'd like it better if it didn't last so long. It's hot in May, and by October, I'm ready for sweaters and a fire, but you know how it is then. Could be in the sixties, could be closer to ninety."

"Can't go outside in a suit without sweating."

"Oh, yuck. If I had to wear a suit all year, I'd really hate summer."

"You get used to it." I shrugged.

"I'm tired of getting used to things I don't like." Nate's arm slipped around my bicep, and his warm hand covered mine. "We only get one life. I don't want to tolerate mine. I want to love it."

His words struck a chord in me. Leaning against his shoulder, I wove our fingers together, and we quietly watched as over the trees in the distance, the sun dipped lower and lower, painting the sky in shades of pink and orange.

Suddenly there was nothing I wanted more than to love my life—every aspect, not just the tiny bits I stole away for myself. But that was easier said than done.

Soon, the sky darkened and the twinkle lights surrounding the deck turned on, adding to the romantic atmosphere. We'd only just arrived, and already it was the best date I'd ever been on.

Thanks for reading! 💜

Their date will finish up in the next chapter! I hope it goes well!